Mediterr-agne (serves 4)

An OGP original recipe just for you!! This is a full vegan dish, even the cheese sauce is dairy free, but can be substituted for a regular cheese sauce if you so desire. It is a really tasty and filling meal, that combines the hot pot and lasagne with roasted mediterranean vegetables – hence the name we gave it “Mediterr-agne.” (Currently no photos can be uploaded but here is the recipe 🙂

Ingredients for Main Dish

1 pepper

3 large tomatoes

2 raw beetroot

3 medium onions

1 large leek

1 large sweet potato

2 large carrots

1 courgette / zucchini

2 large baking potatoes (sliced)

Carton of organic tomato passata

Salt & pepper

Ingredients for Vegan Cheese Sauce

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp flour (plain – we used organic spelt flour)

1 cup almond milk (or other dairy alternative such as coconut milk)

Half cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp mustard

Half tsp turmeric powder

Salt & pepper

Method

Roughly chop the vegetables (except the baking potatoes) and put in a roasting tin with 2 tablespoons of oil – we used coconut oil (we ALWAYS use coconut oil!!).

Place in the oven to roast at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes, lifting dish out and shaking every 5 minutes to ensure all vegetables are coated in oil

Whilst the vegetables are roasting, peel and slice the 2 large baking potatoes and put on to boil – part boil them for about 10 minutes or until they start to soften

Make the vegan cheese sauce :
Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
Add flour and mix to form a paste
Add milk and stir to remove any lumps – keep stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles (you may need more flour to thicken sauce sufficiently, we used an additional tbsp of flour)
Add nutritional yeast, mustard and turmeric and beat until smooth (add more milk if sauce becomes too thick)

Once vegetables are done, remove from oven and pour into an oven proof dish. Pour tomato passata over the vegetables

Take sliced potatoes off the boil and strain them, then layer over the roasted vegetable and passata mix

Top with the cheese sauce and place in the oven at 200 degrees for a further 20 minutes, or until potatoes are softened sufficiently and the sauce has browned on top.

Enjoy, either on its own or with some green vegetables such as broccoli or beans. Obviously the mixture of vegetables can be changed to suit your individual tastes,and the potatoes that top the dish can be changed to sweet potato or aubergine / egg plant slices. Have fun making this dish and getting it just perfect for you 🙂

Sprouting Broccoli Bolognese

Another Organic Guinea Pig special recipe – it is called a bolognese as the purple sprouting broccoli in the mixture gives the dish the texture of mince. Because of this, it would be a great dish for you if you are a newfound vegetarian. This dish is actually vegan. This mixture could also be used to stuff peppers as an alternative way to serve

Ingredients

120g quinoa & bulgar wheat mixture

8 sticks purple sprouting broccoli

1 large carrot sliced

2 leaves of kale, shredded or 2 handfuls of ready shredded kale

1 red onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

1 tomato diced

2 mushrooms diced

500g carton of organic passata

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Peel and slice a large carrot and put them on to boil or steam

Measure out the quinoa and bulgar wheat mix and put on to cook (we used a 50/50 mix)

Now slice and dice the pepper, tomato, mushrooms and onion. Cut the heads off 4 of the sticks of purple sprouting broccoli and put the remaining sticks to one side

Heat some oil in a pan and brown off the onion. Then add the other diced vegetables, except the broccoli, and toss in the oil for 5 minutes.

Whilst the mixture is simmering, shred the kale leaves and place in a steamer with the remaining sticks of purple sprouting broccoli and steam for 7-8 minutes

Serve the mixture on a bed of the steamed kale with the remaining broccoli sticks

Alternative serving suggestion : Hollow out a pepper and roast, then serve the mixture in the pepper – Hey Presto ! Stuffed peppers.

Stuffed Courgette Boats

Dinner tonight was Stuffed courgette boats, sprinkled with organic cheese, and served with fruity cous cous and sweet pepper and tomatoes

1) Take a courgette, slice down the middle and scoop out the seeds

2) Fill the “boat” with finely chopped veg (onion tomatoes mushroom pepper – or use a combination of your choice) seasoned with salt and pepper

3) Sprinkle with cheese (if vegan use vegan cheese or omit)

4) Place in an oven at 200 degrees (180 fan) for 20 minutes or until cooked

5) Serve with cous cous, humus, or salad or all 3 😉

Food Matters Pineapple Curry

Pineapples have a list of incredible health benefits, including everything from reducing bloating, strengthening bones, fighting off the flu, getting gorgeous glowing skin and even assisting to prevent gum disease.

This REALLY healthy recipe also contains peppers which contain capsicum. The health benefits of capsicum are immense, they are known to reduce inflammation, act to kill cancer, relieve pain associated with arthritis and fibromyalgia, lowers risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

There are many ways to enjoy the health benefits of pineapples, including savory ways! Have dinner on the table in no time with this delicious, fragrant pineapple curry!

Ingredients

Serving suggestion – when cutting the pineapple, cut it in half and hollow out the “meat” to form a bowl

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 large carrot diced

1 bell pepper diced (capsicum)

1/2 an onion diced

1 tsp coconut oil

2 tbsp organic red curry paste

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 cup water or vegetable stock

1/2 pineapple diced

1 cup baby spinach

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 cup cooked quinoa

Method

Heat coconut oil in a pan. On medium-high heat, fry the onion for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the red curry paste, frying off until just fragrant.

Add the celery, carrot, capsicum, coconut milk and stock. Simmer for 10-15 mins. Remove from heat and place curry mixture into a large bowl.

Over medium heat, lightly pan-fry cashews then stir in the pineapple. Remove from heat and add to the curry mixture.

Stir cooked quinoa through the curry mixture and toss through spinach.